JJ Liu Wins The PokerStars.net Asia-Pacific Poker Tour Macau High Roller Event (HK$1,420,000)
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After an action-packed day in the 2014 PokerStars.net Asia-Pacific Poker Tour High Roller, it was JJ Liu who took home the trophy and the first-place prize of HK$1,420,000 (approx. $183,000).
The tournament started the last day with 22 players and the final table of nine was set in just over two hours. Unfortunately, two more players needed to exit the tournament before the payouts would begin, and one of those was Kevin Clark, whose final-table appearance was a quick one as he was eliminated in just 10 minutes.
The tournament stayed eight-handed for about two hours, as no one wanted to be the one to leave without a paycheck. Eventually, it was Yuguang Li who finished in eighth place and the pace of the tournament was set to pick back up again.
It didn’t take long after the bubble burst for the first in-the-money elimination to happen. In fact, Zongyao Zhang (7th place - HK$333,950), Huidong Gu (6th place - HK$388,000), and Magnus Karlsson (5th place - 444,000) were eliminated within 10 minutes of each other.
Soon following those quick eliminations, Rui Cao hit the rail (4th place - HK$610,000).
After Cao's bust, a deal between the final three players — Quan Zhou, JJ Liu, and Chen Wang — was discussed. There was some controversy around the deal because Quan Zhou wanted the first-place points towards the Asia Poker Player of the Year Race, but in the end a deal was agreed upon.
Here's a look at the deal numbers:
| Name | Chip Count | Deal Amount (HKD) | Deal Amount (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quan Zhou | 2,745,000 | HK$1,275,000 | $164,445 |
| Chen Wang | 1,650,000 | HK$1,078,000 | $139,037 |
| JJ Liu | 1,505,000 | HK$1,047,000 | $135,038 |
In addition to the agreed upon amounts, there was HK$373,00 left for the winner — certainly an amount worth playing for. It wasn't long after that Liu doubled through Wang and left him crippled. From there, he was eliminated in third place, setting up a heads-up battle between Zhou and Liu.
During the one-hour heads-up battle, the chip lead changed a few times, but it was soon after Liu doubled up through Zhou for a second time that she took a commanding lead and went on to claim victory.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Name | Payout (HKD) | Payout (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JJ Liu | $1,420,000 | $183,147 |
| 2 | Quan Zhou | $1,275,000 | $164,445 |
| 3 | Chen Wang | $1,078,000 | $139,037 |
| 4 | Rui Cao | $610,000 | $78,675 |
| 5 | Magnus Karlsson | $444,000 | $57,265 |
| 6 | Huidong Gu | $388,000 | $50,043 |
| 7 | Zongyao Zhang | $333,950 | 43,071 |
That concludes PokerNews' coverage of the PokerStars.net APPT Macau High Roller. A final good night from the PokerStars LIVE Poker Room inside the City of Dreams Casino, and we'll see you next time!